Ecclesiastes 4
1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
I turnede me to othere thingis, and Y siy fals chalengis, that ben don vndur the sunne, and the teeris of innocentis, and no man coumfortour; and that thei forsakun of the help of alle men, moun not ayenstonde the violence of hem.
2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;
3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
and Y demyde hym, that was not borun yit, and siy not the yuels that ben don vndur the sunne, to be blisfulere than euer eithir.
4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Eft Y bihelde alle the trauelis of men, and bisynesses; and Y perseyuede that tho ben opyn to the enuye of neiybore; and therfor in this is vanyte, and superflu bisynesse.
5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,
6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.
7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;
8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
oon is, and he hath not a secounde; not a sone, not a brother; and netheles he ceesith not for to trauele, nether hise iyen ben fillid with richessis; nether he bithenkith, and seith, To whom trauele Y, and disseyue my soule in goodis? In this also is vanyte, and the worste turment.
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
If oon fallith doun, he schal be vndurset of the tothere; wo to hym that is aloone, for whanne he fallith, he hath noon reisynge him.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.
13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.
14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
For sum tyme a man goith out bothe fro prysoun and chaynes to a rewme; and anothir borun in to a rewme is wastid bi nedynesse.
15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.
16 There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.
